Oculus Rift combines with Atlas for real space virtual reality

There is a lot of excitement surrounding the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, but for such a headset to show off its true potential the wearer needs to be able to move around.

So far the best option for movement when wearing the Rift looks to be the Omni virtual reality interface. It’s basically a treadmill you walk and run around on without actually moving anywhere. The problem is, the Omni is set to cost in the region of $350 and is a rather bulky piece of kit you need to find space for. A much cheaper alternative has appeared, though, and it’s called Atlas.

What Atlas does is to convert a real-world space into a virtual space. You place markers down in a room and then use an app and an iPhone (mounted on your chest) to track where you are within that environment. What this allows is for an Oculus Rift wearer to move around freely, and in so doing motion sickness is meant to be minimized. You don’t need to set aside space for it either, as it can be used pretty much anywhere.

Obviously Atlas is going to be limited by the size of the environment you have to play with, but the full kit only costs $100 and it can be used anywhere just by laying down the markers and hooking up your iPhone.

Atlas is currently a Kickstarter project seeking $125,000. Its creator Aaron Rasmussen has made it clear he is currently targeting developers for Atlas because it needs the support of games and simulations in order to reach its full potential. A consumer version is planned if everything goes to plan and the project gets funded.

Combining Oculus Rift and Atlas certainly unlocks the potential of virtual reality. Imagine having a large warehouse full of Atlas markers and how it would feel walking around freely for hours in the reality of your choice. Add a controller (such as the Razer Hydra) and gameplay to that scenario and you Atlas could turn out to be something quite special.